His WTF podcast is a force—as in a he-interviewed-President-Obama kind of force, and yet I’m willing to bet most of you reading this haven’t listened to many, if any of its episodes. One of the things that kept me away is that I am not terribly interested in actors and comedians, which make up most of his guests. Except, whenever I listen anyway, I am fascinated.

Here’s what I want you to do: first, listen to Jesse Thorn’s interview with Maron; and second, listen to this episode, which is chapter one of his new book. If your childhood was normal, or normal-adjacent, you will likely be as floored as I was. Before I heard this episode, I was someday/maybe going to get around to Waiting for the Punch, even though I’ve read and enjoyed his two prior books. Now it’s moved to the top of my reading stack.

I’ve been beating the empathy2 drum a little recently, but I think this is so important. I learn so much hearing about the lives of people so different from me. It helps me be less of a judgmental jerk as life happens around me.